The Report Writer Rumble I

The MMA Report Wrap-Up

Welcome to The MMA Report's first discussion. Our first debate comes on the heels of UFC 84: Ill Will and will take on the UFC LW Championship battle between Sean Sherk and BJ Penn.

For our first debate we are bringing in two people who will be mainstays at The MMA Report, Daniel Holzhauer and Michael Price II. If you would like to take part in one of our discussions, or want to send in an idea for the site, contact us at theMMAreport@gmail.com.

Dan, you're first.

Round 1:

Dan: According to the UFC, this fight was to determine the greatest lightweight in MMA history, but what we really saw was how much better BJ Penn is than the rest of the UFC LW division. BJ is so much better than everyone in the division that he doesn't even want to stay in it, and I don't blame him. I know that anything can happen in MMA, but BJ Penn is not losing to Kenny Florian, who was dominated by Sherk, Roger Huerta, Tyson Griffin or any of the young, inexperienced lightweights in the UFC. If the UFC really wants to showcase the 155-pound division, they can't have just one top 5 fighter.

Michael: You're insane! The 155 pound division is stacked with talent. Besides the guys you mentioned, there is Frankie Edgar, Clay Guida, Nate Diaz, Manny Gamburyan, Gray Maynard, Joe Stevenson and several other balanced LW fighters who can challenge BJ over the next two years.

Round 2:

Dan: And we saw the best of that entire bunch, Sean Sherk, get bruised and battered by BJ Penn's stand-up. We watched a supposed “world class” wrestler be too scared to fight BJ Penn on the ground. With Takanori Gomi, Shinya Aoki, Gilbert Melendez and Tatsuya Kawajiri fighting outside the UFC, there is nobody at 155 with the skills to even phase BJ Penn.

Michael: So then where does BJ go? The UFC is not going to co-promote with DREAM or Sengoku World Victory Road, and BJ doesn't deserve another fight with George St. Pierre. GSP showed who the better fighter was in their first fight. If BJ wants to move up to welterweight, he has to to earn a title shot like everyone else. The 170 LB division has a lot of talent who have been working for a title shot. Why should BJ Penn just step in for another shot at the WW title? He lost his way into his previous title shot. Let him fight Matt Hughes again if he wants to move up.

Round 3:

Dan: Are you kidding? There are so many things wrong with your post, I don't know where to start. GSP won a split decision victory over out-of-shape BJ Penn. GSP won by the slimmest of margins and he was the fighter in the hospital after the fight. BJ “The Prodigy” Penn is a former Champion at 170. After Jon Fitch, nobody at WW has a chance against GSP. Hughes was dominated, Koscheck was out-wrestled, Karo got blanked 3 rounds to none and Serra was beaten down. Even GSP knows that BJ Penn is his toughest challenge. This is a true “superfight.” Five Rounds to determine the second best P4P fighter in the world, and the winner gets Anderson Silva.

Michael, you get the last word.

Michael: BJ Penn is the most overrated fighter ever. If he wants to be remembered as the greatest ever, he needs to find his place. Is he 155 Lbs, 170 Lbs or 185 Lbs? The 155 pound division is the future of the UFC, in fact it is the future of all MMA. If Penn keeps winning, the challengers will come calling. You know Gomi wants to avenge his defeat at the hands of Penn, and you know the winner of the LW DREAM tournament will want to fight the best in the world. And you know American born Gilbert “El Niño” Melendez will find his way to the UFC. The best BJ is a 155 pound BJ.